The San Pedro Sun

Sun, sails and seasIf you like hearing those two words together then I assure you the cayes (pronounced “keys”) of Belize are where you need to be! After all there aren’t many things that beat sailing in the Caribbean, especially if that country is an award winning destination!
With hundreds of small cayes scattered across the coast of Belize adorned by waters that are just about every shade of blue, Belize is a sea skipper’s dream come true. So get those swimsuits out and wear plenty of sunscreen because we love to spend all day on the water. Friends, ceviche, and cold Belikins await you because there’s nothing like making memories in a charming Belizean sunset.
Booking a sailing trip is on the list of things we highly recommend when in Belize. These trips range from catamaran sailing to old school sailboat expeditions. From sunset cruises that come fully loaded with snorkel gear, good food, nice tunes and of course booze, to beach barbecues that offer a day of fishing followed by a freshly prepared meal from the day’s catch at a nearby caye- there’s plenty sail trips to fit your fancy!

Police suspect foul play in death of American NationalSan Pedro Police are currently investigating the death of American National, 50-year-old Delbert Wayne Fenn, who was found lifeless in his condo just north of Sir Barry Bowen Bridge. According to an official police report, the body was discovered at around 10:30AM on Tuesday, October 27th in an advanced state of decomposition. While police still list the incident as Sudden Death, investigations have led to the belief that there might have been foul play involved. According to police, they received information from nearby residents of a stench coming from inside a condo unit. When the officers arrived on the scene they discovered Fenn’s body lying face down in a pool of blood in the hall of the unit. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition and therefore an onsite postmortem was conducted.
At about 2:48PM Dr. Mario Estradaban arrived on the scene to examine the body. He observed two apparent stab wounds, one to the right shoulder and one to the posterior forearm. At the end of the postmortem examination, Dr. Estradaban certified the cause of death as Exsanguination due to External Bleeding. After removing the body from the scene, police carried out further inspections, but still have not indicated if any signs of struggle were noted. Police have also indicated that there are no signs of burglary attempts and have not established if items are missing.

San Pedro House of Culture Celebrates International Archaeology DayOn Friday, October 23rd, the San Pedro House of Culture (SPHC), in collaboration with the Institute of Archaeology and the Marco Gonzalez Archaeological Site held an exhibition in honor of International Archaeology Day. The event, hosted at the SPHC from 9AM to 2PM, was aimed at educating the children and general public on the history of the ancient Maya. The exhibition showcased different technologies used in the Maya era, some of which are still used today in the rural areas of the country. Director of SPHC Mito Paz explained what the exhibition was all about and what visitors could learn from it. “The exhibition is centralized on the Maya technologies, such as making masa from corn, whereby the Mayas used the metate and the mano to grind the corn and turn it into a dough, ‘the masa’ to make the tortillas. In this demonstration, we want to highlight the tools that are being used. It is similar with the Cacao or chocolate, which was one of the key ingredients in the Maya world.

PUP pre-election rally held in San PedroOn Sunday October 25th, the People United Party (PUP) held its pre-election rally in San Pedro Town. The PUP showcased their strength in an all-day event at the Central Park. All the special invited guests along with the PUP Belize Rural South (BRS) Standard Bearer Elito Arceo delivered encouraging speeches to their supporters in attendance. As the rally started, the crowd gathered near the stage eager to listen to the presentations. Guest speakers included Orange Walk Central Standard Bearer John Francis Briceño, BRS Standard Bearer Elito Arceo, PUP National Party Chair Henry Charles Usher, Dr. Giovani Solorzano, Florencio Marin and Josue Carballo. “The PUP is wounded, the Belizean person is wounded, San Pedro needs a fighter and a leader, that person is Elito Arceo.

Dental Week 2015 closes with a poster competitionFrom Monday, October 19 to Friday, October 23rd the Ministry of Health observed Dental Week under the theme ‘Think right- Smile bright.’ To commemorate the event, several activities were held, such as visiting primary schools to teach children how to properly brush their teeth and the importance of healthy eating practices. With hopes of getting the youths more involved in eating healthy, on Friday, October 23rd the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II organized a poster competition. Winners of the competition were announced during the closing ceremonies with fun prizes being awarded to the top winners of the competition. Parents and teachers are urged to teach children to engage in a routine when it comes to brushing their teeth. It should be done in a manner that is fun, instead of a ‘task’. The mission of the dentistry department at the Polyclinic is to help children to have beautiful bright smiles.

Ambergris Today

Miss Earth Belize Fundraising Efforts for Pageant in AustriaMiss Earth Belize 2015, Christine Syme, has been asked many questions over the past few weeks and has written a little about herself and what will be happening during the weeks leading up to the pageant.
“I am Christine Syme, Miss Earth Belize 2015 and I was born and raised on the island of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. I grew up building sand castles, catching fish, and going to primary and secondary school overlooking the Barrier Reef. I have always been interested in modeling and pageants, participating in my first pageant, Miss San Pedro in 2011, where I won First Runner Up and Miss Congeniality. I have also participated in many fashion shows, including the first Belize Fashion Week runway show where I modeled clothes made by Belizean designers as well as international designers from New York City and the Dominican Republic.
I am ecstatic about representing Belize internationally at the Miss Earth pageant in Austria and I thank everyone for their support and encouragement. I believe that I will do a fantastic job promoting our environment, natural resources and ecosystems as well as the efforts we are making towards preserving and protecting them. Ever since I was about 10 years old I remember joining work teams that picked up trash in our community, planted nice foliage and distributed trash cans, immediately I could see how much more attractive our area would become.

New Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units at KHMHA new pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) were inaugurated at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City on Tuesday, October 27, 2015. The project, spearheaded by Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow, Special Envoy for Women and Children, came about in 2009 and has taken years of work, planning and fundraising to come to fruition.
Construction started in July of 2013 with contractor Gutierrez and Associates and Architect/Project Manager, Esther Ayuso on the ground. Two years and over five million dollars later, Belize’s National Referral Hospital finally has a dedicated space tailor made to care for critically ill children and babies.

Misc Belizean Sources

Rotary Finishes 2 Bathroom ProjectsTwo Cayo primary schools have new bathrooms now, courtesy of the Rotary Clubs of San Ignacio and Fairbanks, Alaska. Howard Smith Nazarene and New Life Primary schools both have new bathroom blocks now, and the kids are very appreciative. Thanks, Rotary, for all you do for Cayo!
"Howard Smith Nazarene School in Benque Viejo has a new toilet block and the smile on the faces says it all. Sanitation and hygiene is as important to education as the subjects the students study. Thank you Rotary Club of Fairbanks for partnering with the Rotary Club of San Ignacio to make this dream come true."

Splashers paint todayToday at Crazy Canucks Beach Bar 2 p.m"The Barnacle dock" Sorry for the late post guys! It's been a crazy week. Hope some of you can make it. Text me at 631-7481or message me before 11a.m if you are for sure coming so I sketch out enough docks.

BEL Statement on Deed of Assurance between Government of Belize, BECOL and Fortis Inc.Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) is aware that reference has been made to the Company in relation to statements in the media of an alleged “secret agreement” between the Government of Belize (GOB), Belize Electric Company Limited (BECOL) and Fortis Inc.
GOB provided BEL with a draft of the Deed of Assurance five days prior to the execution of the agreement, although the Company is not a signatory. BEL’s awareness was necessary, as the agreement:
1. Recognizes all preceding agreements with regards to BECOL’s operations, inclusive of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed with BEL in 2001. This PPA was approved by the Public Utilities Commission in 2007.
2. Provides assurances that the preceding agreements between BEL and BECOL will not be affected as a consequence of the settlement between GOB, BECOL and Fortis Inc.

Wildfire Gallery Premier ExhibitThe Wildfire Gallery had the opening of their first art exhibit, Between Paintings, on Saturday night, and it was an excellent display. You can't go wrong with unique art, local AJAW chocolate, wine, great music, and fun artists. The pieces are from local artists Amal Assales and Daniel Velazquez, and they are quite unique. It's definitely worth stopping by to see.

Mount Carmel Celebrates 25 YearsHappy birthday, MCHS! They are celebrating 25 years. They're having a celebration mass on Friday morning and a BBQ on Saturday to celebrate the anniversary.

Wine House Grand OpeningThe Wine House is having their grand opening on Friday. The celebrations start at 5:00pm, and they'll have a special on premium memberships.
"Featuring the famous Caves Branch artisan cheese and Farmhouse Deli sausages, smoked and cured meats and fish.
“Save the date and CELEBRATE at the Wine House”
Grand opening: The Wine Club
Friday, October 30th 5PM till 10PM
Costless Winehouse, Recinos Imports Ltd.
San Ignacio/Cayo
Premier membership signup"

FACES OF BELIZE REPARATIONS MOVEMENT 2015: PART TWOThe National Convention for the Peoples of Belize held its second annual reparations convention in Belmopan Civic Center on October 10, 2015, one year after its first national convention in 2014 at the University of Belize in Belmopan, Belize. The issue of reparations in Belize, after 500 years of slavery, oppression and exploitation of African and indgenous peoples in Belize, appears to be taking a back seat in the manifestos of both of the two main Belize poltical parties, the Peoples United Party (PUP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP). It is hoped that the Belize Progressive Party (BPP) will include this very important issue on their agenda before upcoming Belize general elections on November 4, 2015.

THE AFRICAN BELIZE / MEXICO CONNECTION: PART 3Many Belizeans of African descent have relatives in Mexico because of the African presence in Mexico, and the fact that many runaway slaves in Belize sought refuge in Mexico. The featured piece explains how and why.

Gun Club on San Pedro Ambergris CayeWe would like to form a Gun Club on San Pedro Ambergris Caye, to allow legal gun owners to able to receive training in safety and gun skills and provide a safe controlled range for them to practice.
Now on the island people who want to practice have to find a place to practice and this is not safe, all gun owners should practice and get training and if there is no where to do this it can be very unsafe.
Please sign this petition. So we can form a club to provide the much needed training and a controlled range for practice and competitions. Ambergris Caye Gun Club will become the premier Gun Club in Belize, helps make this become a reality.

Channel 7

No Joke Jimmy, The Brits Are BackLast night, we showed you how for the past few weeks, the British Army Training and Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) had been training in Belize after 4 years of scaled back activity.
They left Belize behind in 2011 after Prime Minister, David Cameron and the British Military brass decided that it would cut back on military bases worldwide. At that time, the British were focusing their military energies on Iraq and Afghanistan.
But, since 2013, since Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Brigadier General David Jones have been lobbying the British Government to bring back BATSUB to mid-2011 levels.
Well today, 2 years later, the British Army has committed to a renewed, full scale BATSUB facility in Belize. That commitment was cemented with a visit from Lieutenant General James Rupert Everard, the Commander of the British Army’s Land Forces. Military experts tells us he is the highest ranking British Soldier to ever visit Belize.

BATSUB General Meets PMThis evening, Lt. General Jame Everard and Brigadier General David Jones had a high level meeting with the Prime Minister in which some of the finer details were discussed about how BATSUB would operate in the near future. They were accompanied by the British High Commissioner, Major General Smyth Osborne, and the Commander of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards. And, on the Belize side, we saw the Military Liaison Officer, and the CEO of the Ministry of National Security.
The media was allowed to witness a part of that meeting, and afterwards, the Prime Minister gave a briefing on how his Government views BATSUB’s return. On the day after he made the macho remarks against Guatemalan President Elect Jimmy Morales, here’s what the PM had to say now that he had, in some small measure, British backative:

Mystery Plane: I'll Fly AwayToday, the Piper PA 34 Seneca twin-engine plane that made a suspicious mystery landing at the municipal airstrip yesterday – was flown away by a BDF pilot, escorted by a BDF Defender.
From around 9:30 this morning BDF Airwing personnel were checking the plane out, confirming its airworthiness. Then at 10:15 – they struck up the engines, while the BDF Defender stood by to act as an escort.
They flew out of there at around 10:30 am, the BDF plane taking off first and circling while the Piper Seneca took off two minutes later without a hitch.
With that, it was airborne and off to the BDF airwing in Ladyville, where the very suspicious aircraft remains under guard.

Was Foul Play Involved In San Pedro Sudden Death?An American man was found dead in his room at the Cloisters Condominium on San Pedro. Reports from Islanders are that 50 year old deep water diver Delbert Fenn died sometime on Friday and his body was found until yesterday morning around 10:30. Now this case is a little peculiar because police are treating this case as a sudden death. While they are not ruling out murder – police say there are several complicated factors that need to be considered. We travelled to San Pedro this morning to find out more.
Room 102: it was just another fancy apartment among the others at the Cloisters Condominium on San Pedro. But yesterday it turned into a crime scene when 50 year old Delbert Fenn was found dead in this room.

San Pedro Daylight ShootingAlso on San Pedro, a taxi man was shot yesterday in broad daylight on a busy street. It happened at 3:25 in the afternoon near Maya Island Air. 31 year old Juan Menjivar was sitting in front of the luggage area when a man rode up on his bicycle, jumped off behind the luggage area, walked up to Menjivar and fired about 6 shots at him. Menjivar was shot to the arm, wrist and abdomen but survived. The gunman then dashed across to a jetty, and escaped in a boat. According to the san Pedro Sun, Menjivar has previously been charged with drug trafficking, discharging a Firearm in Public, Uncustomed Goods and for the possession of over $10,000 believed to be the proceeds of Drug Trafficking.
So, all indications are that this shooting was supposed to be an execution, but it failed. But, even with all that, police couldn’t give much details on this case either.

Big Name Trio Beats Murder Rap After 3 Years On RemandAfter spending almost 3 years on remand, defendants Tyrone Meighan, Orel Leslie, and Brandon Baptist are at home tonight after they were acquitted of the murder of 28 year-old James Norales.
All 3 men stood trial without jury before Justice Troadio Gonzalez, and the evidence that all 3 defendants, Aaron Paquil, and the victim were socializing in Leslie’s yard on the evening of November 26, 2012. They ran out of drinks, and the investigators believe that this was the time when they lured him to the junction of Fabers Road and the George Price Highway, under the pretense of replenishing the stock. When they arrived at the specific area, the 3 allegedly then forced him to get out of a black vehicle, and that’s where they shot him several times and left him to die.

BEL Says No Secret In Power Purchase AgreementsYesterday the PUP held a press conference to reveal what the party called a “secret agreement” signed by the Prime Minister. The opposition alleges that the agreement binds taxpayers to bail out BECOL if it makes any losses as a result of BEL’s operations.
Well today BEL sent out a statement saying that it received a draft of the Deed of Assurance five days before the agreement was signed. Now, BEL was not a signatory to the deed of confirmation and assurance, but says it needed to know what was in there because the new agreement includes BECOL’s Power Purchase Agreement signed with BEL in 2001. According to BEL, the agreement also provides assurances that those agreements between BEL and BECOL would not be affected because of the settlement between GOB, BECOL and Fortis Inc.

Pray For Peace Churches SayPray for peace, that’s what the council of churches wants you to do for this election. The Council sent out a release today urging all the parties involved in the election, quote, “to put the interests of the country above and beyond their own self-interest and allow the electoral process to be fair, peaceful and objective.” End quote.
As for voters, the council says, quote, “say no to any form of political intimidation or enticement, such as receiving money for your vote… vote in concert with their conscience and on what is best for Belize.
And finally, the council’s press release calls on all Belizeans to quote, “earnestly pray for a peaceful election.” They are declaring Sunday, November 1st, a Day of Prayer for a peaceful and fair election. They conclude, quote, “May God’s will be done on Election Day.”

Hulse Speaks On Immigration IrregularitiesTwo nights ago we told you about three suspicious sets of nationality documents that we had possession of, and one more that we had seen. All of them had serious irregularities – and two of them were signed by Immigration Minister Godwin Hulse in 2012. On Monday, Hulse told us that he now knows that files were sent to him – which contained fraudulent elements. He ended up signing them – and in the cases we saw passports were issued – apparently to persons who did not necessarily meet the qualifications for citizenship. In an interview conducted this evening, Hulse told us about one nationality document he signed – which resulted in a passport the Immigration Department now wants recalled:…
Godwin Hulse - Minister of Immigration
"This file came to our attention when we were doing our research because the copy of the certificate has no seal. If you notice that the copy, it has no seal and therefore without a seal it indicated no swearing in. And without swearing in it indicated that the process had not been completed. Therefore the person is not officially a citizen because that process needs to be completed. The person at the time, the persons at the time who issued the passport should have seen the certificate. That is the only way they would have known the person is a Belizean and should have noticed that there was no seal on it and therefore question it; but it was not questioned, obviously and the passport was issued. That file was sent to the police also for investigation."

5 Years For Beating Ex In street31 year old Thomas Card was sentenced to 5 years in jail today for beating his ex common law wife unconscious in the street. Claire Kelly alleged that on the morning of June 9, 2015, she was walking her 5 year old daughter to school, when she met Card and allowed him to walk with his daughter for a while despite the fact there is a restraining order for him to stay away from her.
But when she decided to end his meet with the child, and she took the child way, that’s when her ex got upset and slapped her across her face so hard, she fell to the ground. That’s where Card continued to beat her, until she went unconscious. Her friend Keisha Westby ran to Card’s aid and had to throw water over her face to revive her.
A passing police mobile met him on Saint Joseph Street where he was detained and taken back to the scene where Kelly positively identified him as the man who beat her up.

Drills The British WayAt the top of the news, we showed you how a high ranking British General visited Belize to announce that BATSUB was returning. Yesterday, we also took you to the BATSUB training camp on the Coastal Road near Gales Point, Manatee.
Well, while the British Soldiers were training themselves, they’ve also been training select officers of the Belize Defence Force. We got a chance to see what that looked like yesterday, and Daniel Ortiz has that story.
For about an hour and a half, in the warm morning sun, this group of BDF soldiers marched around in on the Parade Square, taking commands from their British Trainer, demonstrating that they had a very good grasp of form, technique, and cohesion.
They had been practicing for the past few days, and yesterday was their final test, to show that not only were they well-coordinated, but that they could easily take on the leadership of officers placed under their command.

If We Took A Holiday ...The list of public and bank holidays has been released for 2016 – and for all you weekend warriors, it shows a fair share of long weekends, but you’ll also be losing with some Saturday holidays. And then, National Heroes and Benefactors Day will be observed on Monday March 7th. Easter is als in March on the 25th through to the 28th. Monday May 2nd will be observed as Labour day, and Monday May 23rd will be observed as sovereign’s day. After that spree, there won’t be another long weekend until October. That’s because September 10th falls on a Saturday when it will be observed. September 21st. falls on a Wednesday when it will be observed. Monday October 10th though will be another long weekend. November 19th will be observed on the day it falls which is a Saturday. And then Christmas will be a four day weekend. Christmas falls on a Sunday, so Monday December 26th will be given in lieu, pushing boxing day to be observe don Tuesday December 27th – but then surely all the turkey, black cake and rumpopo will be long finished.

Belize Business Ranking AbysmalThe World Bank has released its 2016 annual ease of doing business report and Belize has fallen four spots. The new list shows Belize dropping from 116 to 120 on the list.
Costa Rica, Jamaica and Mexico recorded the most reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean in the last five years.
Released yesterday, Doing Business 2016: Measuring Regulatory Quality and Efficiency finds that Costa Rica is the world’s top improver, namely, an economy that implemented at least three reforms and moved up on the global rankings scale. For example, on Getting Electricity, the time for a Costa Rican entrepreneur to get connected to the electrical grid has decreased from 55 to 45 days.
Jamaica is also among the global top 10 improvers – that island nation implemented a regional high of four reforms. On Starting a Business, for instance, Jamaica decreased the time to incorporate a business from 15 to three days. And Mexico, the best ranked economy in the region, implemented two reforms in the areas of Getting Credit and Paying Taxes during the past year. Mexico is now ranked 38th.

Collective Called AGSThey call themselves “All God Son’s” and today a couple of the artists stopped by our studios to launch a new video. The video is called Born and Grow and speaks about poverty on the Sputhside of Belize City. Tyron Linarez explains:
The video can be viewed in its entirety on Facebook.

The Wesley WalkAnd we close today with video of students from our area high school, Wesley High which observed Red Ribbon week with a parade through the streets complete with marching band. The Red Ribbon parade is a public declaration of students saying they want to be drug free.

Trio Acquitted of the Murder of B.D.F. SoldierThree Belize City men accused of the November twenty-third 2012 murder of B.D.F. soldier James Noralez learnt their fate this morning. Noralez’s bullet ridden body was found lying on the [...]

Voting by Proxy, P.U.P. is ConcernedIf you’re a public officer assigned to work on Election Day, chances are you won’t be able to vote. The same goes for military personnel on duty and members of [...]

An Essay Competition for Kareem ClarkFollowing up on their commitment to keep the memory of fallen journalist Kareem Clarke alive, his friends and colleagues are currently preparing to launch the first essay competition in his [...]

CTV3

American Retiree Found Deceased In Hotel Room
Authorities on Ambergris Caye are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of an American retiree whose decomposed body was found inside his hotel room yesterday morning. And while they began treating the case as a sudden death, today the autopsy report revealed that the cause of death was due by an apparent stab wound to his body. According to the report, acting upon information received around 10am Tuesday morning, San Pedro Police visited the Cloisters apartment located North of San Pedro Town where they smell a stench coming from Apartment #102 which was locked.
The screen door was pried open and upon making checks inside the lifeless body of a white male person was seen lying face down in the bedroom in a pool of blood. The body was identified as that of 50 year old Delbert Wayne Fenn; an American retired Deep Water Diver. A post-mortem was conducted by Dr. Mario Estrada Bran certified the cause of death as Exsanguinations due to external bleeding due to apparent stab wound to the right shoulder and right posterior forearm. Meanwhile police continue to investigate…

San Pedro Taxi Operator Shot In Broad Day Light
In other crime news from the island, a taxi operator was shot in broad daylight shortly before 4pm yesterday evening. The victim has been identified as 31 year old Juan Menjivar of a San Pedrito home address of San Pedro Town. According to police shortly before 4PM, Menjivar was at the luggage section of Maya Island Air terminal located on Lion Street when as much as five shots rang out in the area. Menjivar then realized that he was shot and he was rushed to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro PolyClinic II.
Police say that it appears the Menjivar was shot as many as three times – to his arms, and abdomen. Menjivar was transported to the KHMH for further medical attention. Multiple reports are that a male shooter ran south on Lions Street and made a turn into Crocodile Street leading to the lagoon where he jump on a waiting jet-ski. Menjivar is no stranger to the police since in July 2014, he was charged with Drug Trafficking, Discharging a Firearm in Public, Uncustomed Goods and for the possession of over $10,000.00 believed to be the proceeds of Drug Trafficking.

Pedriatic Intensive Care Unit Inaugurated At KHMH
Following the death of 13 babies at the KHMH in May of 2013, yesterday Belize’s new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the KHMH was officially inaugurated. The project, spearheaded by Kim Simplis Barrow, Special Envoy for Women and Children, came about in 2009 and has taken years of work, planning and fundraising to come to fruition. The new facility has 2 sections:
the PICU and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Altogether the facility can cater to about 30 children and babies. And while the state of the art facility comes with rigorous screening procedures for visitors, officials state that the facility will help in the health and prolonged life of Belize’s children. Two years and over 5 million dollars later, Belize’s National Referral Hospital finally has a dedicated space tailor made to care for critically ill children and babies. The facility will be fully operational and open to the public in December.

It Is Official 2016 Public And Bank Holidays
The Government of Belize has sent out its official notice for 2016’s Public and Bank Holidays. There will be 13 holidays to be observed throughout the New Year. Of note is that September 10th, St. George’s Caye Day will be observed on a Saturday and Independence Day will be celebrated on a Wednesday. Finally, 2016 will see 8 extended weekends.

LOVE FM

Belize Gets Special Visit From Highest UK Military CommanderThe highest ranking officer in the British Forces is in Belize on an official visit as the country sees the resurgence of the British Forces. Renee Trujillo was at Price Barracks this afternoon to find out more details. RENEE TRUJILLO REPORTING Belize’s Brigadier General, Commander David Jones was at the entrance of the Price Barracks […]

PM Barrow Welcomes the British Forces to BelizeEarlier in our newscast we told you that the Commander of the Land Forces in Britain would be meeting with Belize’s Prime Minister, Dean Barrow. That meeting did occur on Coney Drive this evening and had the presence of several senior officials in the British Forces as well as the Chief Executive Officer in the […]

BDF Commander Speaks on His Efforts in Resurgence of British Forces in BelizeAs you may recall, back in 2011, there was a downsizing of the BATSUB and now, four years later we are seeing the resurgence. According to the Commander of the Belize Defense Force, Brigadier General, David Jones, he has been working hard in getting back the training exercises with the British Forces. COMMANDER DAVID JONES […]

BDF Commander Seeks Further Relations with US MarinesAnd while Belize will be having their counterparts from the UK on its military base in rural Belize, there are other areas of training opportunities that the BDF Commander is exploring for his officers. Brigadier General David Jones was recently in North Carolina, USA discussing opportunities with the US Marines. He explained to Love News, […]

Senator Lizarraga Expresses Concerns Over Agreement with Fortis/BECOLYesterday the People’s United Party held a press conference at which they said that Prime Minister Dean Barrow had signed his own accommodation agreement in relation to the BEL settlement with BECOL and Fortis. The PUP stated that the Confirmation and Assurance Deed was not provided to them; however, Prime Minister Dean Barrow told the […]

BEL Issues Response on PUP’s AllegationsBelize Electricity Limited issued a short release on the Confirmation and Assurance Deed that was signed by the Government of Belize in relations to the settlement with BECOL and Fortis Incorporation. In the release, BEL states quote, “GOB provided BEL with a draft of the Deed of Assurance five days prior to the execution of […]

UB Continues Discussions for Salary IncreaseMembers of the University of Belize Faculty and Staff Association met today to determine their next move as it relates to their request for a 14 percent salary increase. The latest update on this matter is that the President of the University of Belize wrote to the Interim President of the Association, Harrison Flowers, telling […]

Opposition Leader Commits to Church Leaders for Revitalized PartnershipLeader of the People’s United Party, Francis Fonseca met with leaders of the church today. According to a release from the PUP, Fonseca and the church leaders spoke the concern they had in regards to the country’s education system and the quote, “moral and spiritual direction of our society” end of quote. During the meeting, […]

American National Found Stabbed to DeathSan Pedro Police is also looking into a homicide case that was uncovered yesterday on the island. Reports are that the authorities there were called out to a resort north of San Pedro Town where they found the partially decomposed body of an American national inside his room at the resort. Investigators have since identified […]

Taxi Man Shot Whilst Doing Business in San PedroA taxi driver of Ambergris Caye is listed in a stable condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after being shot on the island. Reports reaching Love News is that 31-year-old, Juan Menjivar was shot in his arm and stomach whilst conducting business on Lion Street at the entrance of the San Pedrito area of […]

PlusTV

Oceana holds AGMOceana Belize held its annual general meeting over the weekend with some 200 of its members known as Wavemakers. The meeting was held on Saturday at the George Price Center in Belmopan. Janelle Chanona, the vice President for Oceana Belize told us more about it. Janelle Chanona, Vice Presid...

Kareem Clarke Memorial Fund essay competitionTwo months ago members of the Kareem Clarke Memorial Fund donated items to the St. Joseph Feeding Program in Belize City to honor Kareem, a graduate himself of St. Joseph Primary School. That was the group’s first venture and, as was mentioned, the members of the Fund had intentions of hosting an es...

Exports recovering as prices continue to fallThe Statistical Institute of Belize reports good news in the area of trade and inflation for September 2015. Imports slipped slightly for the month of September to $162 million, as no premium fuel was imported in this month and prices for other fuels were lower. Fewer clothing and cigarette purchas...

House fire in Belize CityThere was a house fire in Belize city last night sometime after 7 o’clock. The house, #973 Bella Vista, Belize City is where 55 year old Delfin Castillo and his 27 year old wife Anna Portillo live. According to Castillo, sometime about 7:19pm, the wife went upstairs to their bedroom to put on the a...

Violent domestic dispute earns man five yearsAn estranged couple’s early morning domestic dispute in Belize City a few months ago ended with jail time for the convicted abuser, 31 year old Thomas Card. Card was convicted of wounding his ex-common-law wife, whose name we will leave out for privacy reasons, by knocking her out on Freetown ...

Trio’s murder charges dropped in death of BDF soldierSupreme Court Justice Troadio Gonzalez, acting alone, ruled today that three Belize City men accused of the November 23, 2012 murder of Belize Defence Force Soldier, 28 year old James Noralez had no case to answer, causing them to dash out of the courtroom and down the stairs like someone was after ...

San Pedro man shot multiple timesSan Pedro police are also investigating an attempted murder. On Tuesday October 27, 31 year old Juan Menjivar of San Pedrito Area, San Pedro Town was shot to his left forearm, wrist and abdomen area. Initial investigation revealed that about 3:00pm that day, while Juan Menjivar was standing at the...

PUP reveals secret deal between GOB and FortisA short notice from the People’s United Party yesterday spoke of “breaking news” to be revealed at a press conference today, Tuesday. And we were told that the ruling party had made a “secret deal” with Fortis Energy International as part of the settlement reached at the end of August and rushed through the House and Senate. While most of the documents that were part of the deal were presented and debated on, what is known as the Deed of Confirmation and Assurance was not. In the document released only today, the Government agrees that BECOL is not to be interfered with, not even by any court or tribunal. It states also that the company can continue to charge its rates for buying of electric power, and assumes no responsibility for losses sustained, which must be made good by the Government. Here is what former Senator Lisa Shoman had to say.

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Halloween – Night of the living DreadThis Saturday, October 31st, is Halloween and everyone’s favourite celebration. More money is spent on Halloween costumes as a nation than for any other celebration. This year will be no exception and I believe that this year will surpass many that have preceded it. Caye Caulker has several events lined up for this event and they are way beyond anything I have witnessed here before in the 15 years I’ve been coming here.
The Barrier Reef Sports Bar & Grill is having a big party with DJ DZL and is being sponsored by several local businesses. They usually have one of the best showings on the island and last year’s party was one of my favourites with Luciana Essenziale winning the prize for scariest costume. I’m still haunted by that image. This year, Scott Waters (owner), is offering a massive $750 in prize money split 3 ways for scariest, sexiest and funniest. There are a multitude of other prizes and giveaways throughout the evening, from bottles of rum, 6 packs of beer, etcetera and it looks like it is set to be a roaring success.

Breaking Belize News

One dead in late evening accident in CorozalInformation reaching our newsroom is that a man was fatally knocked down on the Philip Goldson Highway near the Laguna Maya area in the Corozal District. Officers are currently at the scene. We will have more on this shortly.

Exports recovering as prices continue to fall
The Statistical Institute of Belize reports good news in the area of trade and inflation for September 2015. Imports slipped slightly for the month of September to $162 million, as no premium fuel was imported in this month and prices for other fuels were lower. Fewer clothing and cigarette purchases led to […]

Violent domestic dispute earns man five years
An estranged couple’s early morning domestic dispute in Belize City a few months ago ended with jail time for the convicted abuser, 31 year old Thomas Card. Card was convicted of wounding his ex-common-law wife, whose name we will leave out for privacy reasons, by knocking her out on Freetown Road […]

OAS deploys Electoral Observation Mission to BelizeA press release issued by the Organization of American States (OAS) earlier today, announced the deployment of its Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) to Belize for the November 4th general elections, comprised of 13 observers from various countries and headed by Ambassador Jacinth Henry-Martin. After attending a training session, the observers will […]

Silva accuses Montero of land-grab while in GOBPeople United Party’s (PUP) Cayo Central standard bearer, Dan Silva, will be running against the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) Rene Montero Jr. on November 4th, and is using new allegations in an attempt to gain political mileage against his UDP opponent. Silva claims to have documents proving that a number […]

No-one has claimed abandoned mystery planeThe mysterious Piper Seneca PA23 with registration number N32812 today lies at the Belize Defense Force (BDF) Air Wing Compound at Price Barracks in Ladyville after spending the night at the Belize Municipal Airstrip, heavily guarded by members of the BDF and the Gang Supression Unit (GSU). According to the […]

Convoy seen speeding through Cayo comingA convoy of five vehicles, escorted by police, was seen speeding through Cayo coming from the direction of the Arenal-Guatemalan border this morning. According to an eye-witness, who submitted pictures of the convoy, the vehicles sped through San Ignacio and Santa Elena at full speed with lights flashing heading to […]

American found dead in his apartment
San Pedro police have opened a murder case after discovering the advanced state of a decomposing body believed to be that of American, Wayne Delbert Fenn. Belize Media Group was made to understand that on Tuesday, October 27th, police visited Fenn’s apartment on the lower flat of […]

School-inclusion workshop held in OW
Teachers and principals from the north concluded a two-day workshop on school inclusion yesterday in Orange Walk Town. The aim is to equip the school leaders with skills necessary in handling special-needs children and their inclusion into regular classrooms. Of the many primary schools in the northern […]

Marco Tulio Mendez back in courtBack in court yesterday was embattled, former politician, Marco Tulio Mendez but the appearance was a standard adjournment. Readers may recall that in his last court appearance he was slapped with an additional charge of ‘Carnal Knowledge’. The charge follows strong allegations of sexual misconduct against two minors in February […]

Airfare prices to Belize are down 20% this year vs. last yearKayak.com, the popular travel site on the Internet is reporting that airfare to Belize is down by 20% this year compared to last year.
The travel site made the announcement today by tweeting it to its thousands of Twitter followers.
“This is great news for Belize because many people can now visit the country at an affordable cost”, Ted McKoy, a tourism entrepreneur from Hopkins Village Belize told Belize Hub.
Many tourism stakeholders in Belize believe that the reduction in airfare to the country can be attributed to the fact that Southwest is now flying to Belize.

What is Sustainable Community Development for Belize?Economic globalization has tended to strip out local cultural differences and nuances among communities as if hierarchical uniformity were an end in itself. Restoring a sense of identity to the community may be an unexpected but necessary adjunct to any development project. A community’s identity may have been lost over some time as knowledge of kinship with and pride in its particular assets has withered. So perceived problems need to be looked at seriously, in the context of who the community is, to truly assess which problems the community should really spend its time on.
It’s important to understand the specific nature of the communities we work with in Belize. Community does not fit into a nice neat package – every community is a little different. A “community” is a construct, a model. We cannot see a whole community, we cannot touch it, and we cannot directly experience it. More importantly, a community is not just the people who are currently in it. A community probably already existed when all of its current residents were not yet born, and it will likely continue to exist when all of the people in it have left.

U.S. dental team marks 23rd year putting smiles on the faces of BelizeansI can’t help but think that if the big-game hunting dentist Walter Palmer had met his colleague Frank Whipps years ago, Cecil the lion might be alive today, as well as a whole ark full of rare, endangered, docile and beautiful trophy creatures.
Dr. Whipps has that sort of positive influence on the dental community. He’s a guy who gives dentistry a good name, especially here in Belize.
I’m thinking this while sitting in the Lion’s Club facility in downtown San Pedro where a small army of dentists, dental assistants and various other health professionals are spending up to two weeks of their time cleaning dentures, fluoridating, pulling bad teeth and filling cavities in the mouths of thousands of Belizeans.

International Sources

Weather Underground Bought by IBMIBM announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire The Weather Company’s B2B, mobile and cloud-based web properties, including WSI, weather.com, Weather Underground and The Weather Company brand. The TV segment – The Weather Channel – will not be acquired by IBM, but will license weather forecast data and analytics from IBM under a long-term contract.
There are no changes that have been announced for how Weather Underground will operate, and Bob Henson and I plan to ride the rapids to see where they lead. IBM brings some pretty remarkable technology resources to the table, so I expect that WU's creative development team will be able to take advantage of that and crank out some ground-breaking weather software.
For more information on the acquisition, see the IBM/Weather Company press release. The deal will likely become finalized in January.
Jeff Masters

Belize Defence Force leaders visit Camp LejeuneLeaders from U.S. Marine Corps Forces-South, and Belize Defence Force visited II Marine Expeditionary Force and School of Infantry–East as part of a three-day visit to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Oct. 20 through 22.
The purpose of the visit was to assess the capabilities of U.S. forces, discern opportunities for Belize forces to train alongside Marines, and sustain enduring partnerships between the two countries in their efforts to counter transnational organized crime.
"The training we’re doing with the Belize Defence Force right now is we have a security cooperation team of 25 Marines who are currently living in Belize," said Brig. Gen. Eric M. Smith, commander of MARFORSOUTH. "Our Marines are training a BDF company of troops in subjects such as land navigation and marksmanship skills."

CSU students back efforts in Belize to find a new use for an invasive speciesBelize is known for its beaches, scuba diving and sport fishing. But since 2014, the Central American country has also served as a home base for graduate students working on conservation and development through the Warner College of Natural Resources.
Last summer, a group of CSU students in Belize launched a crowdfunding campaign to send local women to a workshop to learn how to create jewelry from the invasive lionfish. The workshop — sponsored by Blue Ventures — is one of several efforts aimed at reducing the country’s population of the invasive fish. Blue Ventures is a social enterprise, an organization that uses commercial strategies to raise awareness for conservation efforts.
Lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific, have spread rapidly across the western Atlantic and Caribbean and now can be found from Rhode Island to Brazil. The fish, named one of the world’s major conservation threats, crowd out native fish and harm coral reef ecosystems. Their prickly spines also deliver a venomous sting to people.
Groups like NOAA are tracking the lionfish and encouraging people to report lionfish sighting to help with research.

GSMA Welcomes Multi-Country Support for Sub-700MHz Spectrum for Mobile Broadband at WRC-15John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA, commented on the submission of multi-country proposals in support of spectrum for mobile to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in advance of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) in Geneva next month:
“We are seeing positive momentum for the UHF spectrum band from many countries in Regions 2 and 3 – namely in the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the United States – which has resulted in multi-country proposals being submitted to the ITU, supporting part or all of the band for possible future use for mobile broadband. In Europe, Finland has submitted a single-country proposal for the UHF band, while Egypt is spearheading a multi-country proposal in the Middle East, supported by Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco.

Videos

Debate question on land distribution..., 6min. San Pedro Sun: Standard Bearers respond to a question regarding land. Its reads "Under both administrations there has been the give and take of property. How can you assure land is fairly distributed and rightfully owned?"

Beat a Pan, Not a Man - TRAILER - UNICEF Belize, 1.5min. "In these neighbourhoods children as young as 8 and 9 years old are literally born into the gang situation."
Watch the trailer for the upcoming documentary Beat a Pan, Not a Man, about a UNICEF supported initiative implemented by RESTORE Belize and the Belize National Institute of Culture and Heritage. The video tells the story about the Pandemonium Steel Band, and how it helps young people from Belize City escape their violent environment and instead play music, have fun and learn a new skill.